New Beginnings!

I've been lucky enough to have been chosen to take part in a new programme at Leeds Arts University as a Visiting Research Associate. This is a fabulous opportunity and something I've been in need of to kick start new work and pull me out of the uninspiring phase  I've been in! 
This period will give me the chance to develop my practice based research skills further, acquire more knowledge and experience and gain further insight into the processes of practice based research in the context of the university.
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As my work can be mainly ephemeral in nature I've relied on photography to capture permanent records of much of my work. Recently I've been focusing on ways of producing more lasting paper based works that can become more 'permanent' pieces. My main theme of inquiry is exploring ways to capture climatical changes and the physicality and presence of the elements within the environment.

In a basic sense my plans are to work through ways of facilitating the elements to draw on the surface of paper. The challenge is that many of the the elements such as wind and sun cannot be seen as a physical entities, and elements such as rain, ice and snow are ephemeral in nature and don't stay around for long. The elements are transient, fluid and everchanging which presents challenges.

As a starting point I've experimented placing stones on small circular filter paper outside the area around the studio. (seen above) Over time the elements and the particles of plant life and organic ephemera connect with the stone as an object and deposit onto the paper. These particles would otherwise not be seen but by placing an object within the space on paper the presence of climatical changes and presence is validated; a connection between elements and entity is recorded on the paper. It is this thread of examination I wish to take further; experimenting ways of capturing ephemeral moments, not naked to the eye , as physical drawings. 

The clay and charcoal drawings seen above are experiments centred around the application of water in order to nurture movement. Over the past few years I've used both clay (Excavated from the land where I live) and charcoal both in a liquid form as mark making tools. They have a beautiful quality when used together forming textured rivulets and stunning natural marks and i feel have a relevance to facilitating mark making.


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